Under the jurisdiction of commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA has seemed to display smooth results and a strong connection between the organization and the players’ association. The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is set to expire on June 30, 2017, as Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and the executives around the league hope to reach an agreement soon.
If the NBA or NBPA wanted to terminate to contract, they would have to let the other group know by Dec. 15, which is just under a month away. As of now, matters have been progressing smoothly, as it seems Silver and NBPA president Chris Paul have been able to negotiate matters with their associates.
It has been reported that both sides are treating each other with respect, which is a drastic difference compared to the days where David Stern and Billy Hunter resided. New facets about the NBA season have been slowly released, which would be implemented in the new collective bargaining agreement.
The newest instances state a change to the preseason, courtesy of Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer:
The sources indicated that the NBA preseason schedule will be shortened under the new CBA. Stretches of four games in five nights and back-to-backs were reduced to all-time lows in recent seasons, but steps are being taken to further decrease those instances.
Commissioner Silver stated that the goal is to shorten the NBA preseason by a week, with both players and coaches wanting to reduce the preseason for quite some time.
Precautionary steps have been taken in recent seasons regarding back-to-backs, but the matter has been emphasized now more than ever. The NBA didn’t discuss any possible reductions to the regular season, as it seems both players and ownership wants to maximize their profit with the schedule.
The last new snippet of information is a topic that has been emphasized by all the major sports in the United States, the domestic violence policy.
The updated disciplinary action will surpass just a fine or suspension, as it seems Silver and the league wants to exclude themselves from any association with the epidemic that has recently plagued the National Football League and Major League Baseball.
Although the terms haven’t been finalized, it appears as though they all remain in agreement that this matter shouldn’t be taken lightly. Although NBA matters haven’t been handled lightly in the past, commissioner Silver has the opportunity to get out in front of this matter before it becomes an issue or associated with the NBA.